Sunday, October 13, 2013

Who would've guessed that Scarpetta at The Montage in Beverly Hills would launch the best happy hour deal around? From 4-8pm (Monday through Saturday) all the cocktails and food on the happy hour menu are only $8! And we're not talking boring cocktails or skimpy food portions. Just keep reading to see what you get (chicken liver pate? lobster croquettes?) !

Scarpetta has tapped mixologist Rob Floyd to design the cocktail menu. Even for the skinny drinks he made (for that LA crowd), he wanted the ingredients to be all organic. The Fortuna (peach vodka, St. Germain, peach puree) uses puree made with all organic Japanese peaches. Did I mention it was sugar free? He uses STIR sweetener, an organic sugar substitute.

For a refreshing gingery drink, try the Amalfi: Crown royal with mint, lime, bitters, topped w fever tree ginger beer. Rob told us that Julep came from an Arabic medicinal drink, called Golab which originated in the 15th century.

Much like the name, the Passione (aperol, gin, sambuca, lemon) is made with fire and a delight to watch. I personally love aperol and really enjoyed this lighter drink.

One of our favorites was the Noce. This is a rye Old Fashioned based on an 1895 Old Fashioned recipe with pecan reduction. They serve it here with candied pecans. Take bite of a pecan, then a sip of the cocktail.

The Ferrari is made with tequila, cointreau, blood orange, and jalapeno, with a rim of Irish maldon sea salt (because these days you have to have some sort of jalapeno drink in LA)

The Portofino is a variation of the gin smash, which was apparently a Kennedy favorite. Blueberry and Hendricks are great together, so he makes the Portofino uses blueberries on top of the gin, lime, cucumber, mint, and maldon sea salt.

Yes, a whole jar of one of the best chicken liver pate in LA, topped with caramelized shallots, crispy capers, and fried sage. It was so good with the cherries as well. This one's a must order!
Burrata crostini, concentrated tomatoes, marinated eggplant and olives

I always love the pastas at Scarpetta, and this al dente ravioli is no exception. This alone might be enough for a light meal.

Also, beers are $4 each and includes Allagash White! You can impress a date here with all the great food and cocktails, sitting outside facing the garden - just don't show her the prices or the bill. The happy hour here is an amazing value in an effort to draw in new customers, and it showcases what the Scarpetta kitchen and bar can do.